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Drowning in to-do-lists, feelings overwhelmed, sleep deprivation, work-life balance are just a few things entrepreneurs struggle with. Outsourcing is a strategy you can use to level up your business. However, hiring expert help can be an opaque process if you’ve never done it before. A lot of questions could enter your mind: Where do you find them? How do you pay them? How do you work with them?

So here are 5 guides on how to hire an expert to help you in your business:

1 – PREPARE YOUR BUSINESS

Before you hire anyone for anything, it’s important to take stock of your business, and figure out where adding an extra set of hands will have the most impact.

2 – DETERMINE THE AREAS YOU NEED HELP ON

Look at your business, as well as your weekly routine, with a critical eye. You can make some great guesses just by identifying what you consider to be your biggest “problem areas.” If your most painful problem is that you spend 80% of your day shipping orders, that’s a strong indicator that you need to hire someone to help you with shipping.

According to Chase Clymer, co-founder of Electric Eye, before consulting an expert you should work on identifying your acute problem rather than trying to prescribe your own solution—that’s their job. Remember that the expert is there to help you properly identify the real problems in your business and solve them, as opposed to just putting on a Band-Aid.”

3 – KNOW AND SET YOUR BUDGET

Hiring outside help might be a big line item in your business’ budget, there’s no denying that. Before you sign on the dotted line to secure the help you need, make sure you have a solid plan for investing in your business.

You need to understand your business’ finances, how much you need to pay yourself, and all of the other commitments you have to handle, financially speaking. Once you know that, you can begin to allocate money towards whatever form of contract work is right for your business.

4 – ASK FOR REFERRALS

It turns out, referrals are by far the most common way entrepreneurs have connected with experts. When you’re looking for someone to work with, your best bet is to start by asking around.

However, just because someone comes highly recommended doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do your own due diligence, even if it’s just a peek through their business’ website and online presence.

Pay special attention to any past projects they’ve included as case studies, anything they’ve written about how they work with clients, and their social media presence—those things can all give you additional insight into what it’d be like to work with them.

5 – COMMUNICATE

To keep a project going smoothly for the entire duration, communication is the key for both parties:

Set expectations

Give feedback

Follow processes and timelines

Bringing in an Expert can be a great next step for your business, but the key word there is your business. Before you make the call, it’s important to take a look at your business’ finances, goals, and priorities.

How do you hire or outsource Shopify experts or consultants for your business? Let us know in the comments below!